Africa in focus at RICS Summit in Johannesburg this week

The spotlight will be on Africa and its urban development this week as more than 250 executives and professionals in the built environment sector are set to attend the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Summit Africa event in Sandton Central, Johannesburg.

“As Africa marks #AfricaMonth this month, we at RICS are putting Africa in focus at our fifth annual RICS Summit Africa event, taking place on Wednesday and Thursday (29 - 30 May). The summit has entrenched itself as a leading event for the built environment and real estate sectors in Sub-Saharan Africa. Noted as a globally recognised organisation, RICS is committed to Africa and its urban development,” says TC Chetty, RICS Country Manager for South Africa.

Broll Property Group is the headline sponsor of RICS Summit Africa this year. Other key sponsors and partners include CBRE Excellerate, Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). The IFC has also partnered with the GBCSA and RICS to host an EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greener Efficiencies) workshop a day before the summit on 28 May.

RICS Summit Africa kicks off with its popular technical building tour, sponsored by AECOM and Eris Property Group on Wednesday (29 May); and, day-one ends with a Networking Cocktail Reception at the Maslow Hotel. Day-two of the summit takes place at the hotel with a power-packed conference programme, including keynote addresses, insightful panel discussions and breakaway sessions.

Chetty comments: “Through the summit, RICS brings key players in the broader build environment sector together to collaborate and discuss pertinent issues around Africa’s urban development. Investing with Impact – Collaboration and Innovation is the theme of the 2019 event this week. Key topics for discussion will include an in-depth look into inward investment, geopolitics and cross-border collaboration, as well as an examination of current and future investment trends in cities, renewable energy and transport infrastructure.”

He adds: “By 2034, Africa is likely to have a working-age population of 1.1 billion people, exceeding that of Asia, according to the United Nations’ (UN) 2017 Revision of World Population Prospects report. It notes that by 2060, the same number of Africans will be in the middle class. This highlights the prospects that Africa’s youthful and dynamic population offers, but also the challenges around urbanisation and economic opportunities.”

Noted property industry personality, Lynette Ntuli, Founding Director and CEO of Innate Investment Solutions, will be the chief facilitator and chair of RICS Summit Africa this year. Almost 20 regional and international keynote speakers and panellists have been confirmed for RICS Summit Africa 2019. They will explore possible collaborative and innovative strategies to push Africa forward as a global thought leader and influencer in the built environment sector.

RICS is a London-based global professional body that promotes and enforces the highest qualifications and standards in the areas of land, real estate, construction and infrastructure. As a public benefit organisation, RICS operates in all the world’s major financial hubs in delivering international standards and policy influence.